France and Germany Star

Infobox Military Award
name=France and Germany Star


caption=Obverse of medal and ribbon
awarded_by=United Kingdom and Commonwealth
type=Campaign medal
eligibility=1 or more days service in appropriate land or sea area.
for=Service
campaign=France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands or Germany 1944-45
status=
description=Six pointed star
clasps=1
*Atlantic
established=
first_award=
last_award=
total=
posthumous=
recipients=
individual=
higher=
same=
lower=
related=Atlantic Star


caption2=__NOTOC__The France and Germany Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.

The medal was awarded for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany from 6 June1944 (D-Day) to 8 May1945. The qualifying sea area is the North Sea South of a line form the Firth of Forth to Kristiansand (South), in the English Channel and in the Bay of Biscay east of longitude 6° West, provided such service was directly in support of land operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany.

British uniform regulations stipulated that neither the Atlantic Star nor the Air Crew Europe Star would be awarded to a recipient of the France and Germany Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Atlantic Star was denoted by the award of the Atlantic clasp. A clasp for the Air Crew Europe Star was not issued as that Star could not be earned after 05 June1944.

Army personnel who entered Austria may not qualify for this award, as their service is recognised by the grant of the Italy Star.

Description

* The France and Germany Star is a six–pointed star of yellow copper zinc alloy, with a height of 44mm and a maximum width of 38mm.
* The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher of King George VI, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words ‘The France and Germany Star'.
* The reverse is plain, although Stars issued to Australian and South African personnel have recipient names engraved.
* The ribbon for this medal, along with those of the other Second World War campaign stars, is reputed to have been designed by King George VI. Red, white, and blue were chosen as being symbolic of the national colours of France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Clasps

When the ribbon is worn alone a silver rosette ribbon emblem is worn to denote the award of a clasp.
* Atlantic:Awarded to those who subsequently became entitled to the Atlantic Star.

ee also

*British campaign medals
*Australian campaign medals

Bibliography

* Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - "Medals Yearbook - 2006", (2005), Token Publishing.
* Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds), "British Battles and Medals", (1988), Spink

References

* [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/FranceAndGermanyStar.htm UK DoD site]
* [http://www.defence.gov.au/medals/Content/+040%20Campaign%20Medals/+100%20World%20War%20II/+080%20France%20and%20Germany%20Star/default.htm ADF Honours and Awards]
* [http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/wwii_medals.htm Stephen Stratford Medals site]
* [http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/acesstar Veterans Affairs Canada site]
* [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/h/h16.html NZDF Medals site]
* [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/warrants/h16-reg.html France and Germany Star Regulations from NZDF site]